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Robert Rodriguez has a solid track record for making exciting and engaging action movies. While his latest film, the Ben Affleck-led thriller Hypnotic, isn’t the director at its peak, it’s still a decent time. If you like what you saw in theaters, take a look at the best Robert Rodriguez movies from his lengthy career behind the camera.
Sin City (2005)
Sin City was actually co-directed by Rodriguez, as Sin City comic creator Frank Miller co-directed alongside him. The gritty neo-noir anthology movie features a loaded cast, including the likes of Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Elijah Wood, Mickey Rourke, and Bruce Willis.
The film adaptation covered four stories set in the world of Sin City in its distinct graphic novel visual style. Sin City was a commercial and critical success, earning accolades like Saturn Awards and a Cannes Film Festival Technical Grand Prize. A sequel would release nine years later in 2014, which Rodriguez would return to direct for.
Machete (2010)
Many of the best Robert Rodriguez movies feature Danny Trejo, such as the Machete series. Surprisingly enough, Machete is a spin-off of the Spy Kids series that stars Trejo reprising his role as Machete Cortez — the uncle of protagonists Carmen and Juni. That being said, Machete is substantially more violent than Spy Kids.
The first Machete movie was co-directed by Rodriguez and Ethan Maniquis and ended up being popular enough to warrant a sequel in 2013 — Machete Kills. A third movie, Machete Kills in Space, is apparently on the way, though it has faced some delays in recent years. If you want one of the more violent Robert Rodriguez movies, then Machete is for you.
From Dusk Till Dawn (1996)
From Dusk Till Dawn was directed by Robert Rodriguez but features a screenplay by another famed filmmaker — Quentin Tarantino. This combination would make for a unique vampire-filled action horror movie, as would the star-studded cast that featured George Clooney, Salma Hayek, Cheech Marin, and Tarantino himself.
The movie would receive two Saturn Awards, a Fangoria Chainsaw Award, and an MTV Movie Award for Clooney’s performance, while the character of Earl McGraw would go on to appear in both Rodriguez and Tarantino’s later movies, including Kill Bill and Planet Terror. If the concept of criminals battling vampires stands out as interesting to you, then this you may want to check out From Dusk Till Dawn.
Once Upon a Time in Mexico (2003)
As the final movie of Robert Rodriguez’s “Mexico Trilogy” — made up of El Mariachi, Desperado, and this — Once Upon a Time in Mexico was quite a box office success, even with the highest budget of the three movies. In the film, El Mariachi has to take on an assassin at the behest of the CIA.
The neo-western sees Antonio Banderas return as El Mariachi one last time, while the higher budget would allow him to be accompanied by fellow stars like Johnny Depp, Salma Hayek, and Willem Dafoe. Though Once Upon a Time in Mexico would cap off the subseries, it would be far from the last action-packed movie that Robert Rodriguez would helm.
Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
Based on the manga Gunnm by Yukito Kishiro, Alita: Battle Angel is a team-up between Rodriguez and cinema visionary James Cameron, who co-wrote the movie alongside Laeta Kalogridis. Alita is a bit different from Rodriguez’s previous movies, taking place in a distant and hazardous future that is filled with cyborgs.
The movie incorporates the manga’s style through visual effects, making the titular cyborg character of Alita seem more surreal amongst her human counterparts. From intense battles to fast-paced sports scenes, the movie isn’t short on excitement. A sequel has been talked about for some time, though even if we never get one, Alita: Battle Angel stands as one of the most distinct Robert Rodriguez movies.
Spy Kids (2001)
Spy Kids is certainly the most kid-friendly entry on the list, but it’s an incredibly entertaining movie for any demographic. After their parents — who are secretly spies — get captured on a mission, Carmen and Juni must become spies themselves to stop the deranged TV show host Fegan Floop, who turns people into bizarre creatures known as Fooglies.
Future entries would ratchet up the craziness tenfold, featuring an island of spliced creatures made by Steve Buscemi and a video game world created by a very goofy Sylvester Stallone. If anything, the Spy Kids series is excellent evidence of the range that can be seen in Robert Rodriguez movies, proving him to be a rather versatile director.